Pleasanton booms along with oil field

August 13, 2012 6:26 PM

The Eagle Ford Lodge is being built for workers flocking to cash in on Pleasanton’s oil and gas drilling boom.

The Eagle Ford Lodge is being built for workers flocking to cash in on Pleasanton’s oil and gas drilling boom.

Photo: San Antonio Express-News

The Eagle Ford Lodge is being built for workers flocking to... Photo-3320971.47488 - San Antonio Express-News

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Housing for oil workers is located in front of the Best Western under construction in Pleasanton. The hotel won’t open until November, but people stop by almost daily hoping to book rooms, hotel project manager Zia Haq said.

Housing for oil workers is located in front of the Best Western under construction in Pleasanton. The hotel won’t open until November, but people stop by almost daily hoping to book rooms, hotel project

Freddy Fonseca, left, of Pleasanton, paints while Jose Villanueva, of Houston, installs lights as they work to complete the lobby in the newly built Hampton Inn, scheduled to open in early September, in Pleasanton on Wednesday, August 8, 2012. less

Freddy Fonseca, left, of Pleasanton, paints while Jose Villanueva, of Houston, installs lights as they work to complete the lobby in the newly built Hampton Inn, scheduled to open in early September, in ... more

Oil field related traffic on Old Fowlerton Road merges with Texas State Highway 16 in Tilden, Texas, Thursday, August 9, 2012. The McMullen County seat is located at the interseciton of Highway 16 and SH 72 in the Eagle Ford play. Housing in the town is still limited to RV parks and few houses for rent. Oil field related companies have opened or are in the process of opening yards in the area. less

Oil field related traffic on Old Fowlerton Road merges with Texas State Highway 16 in Tilden, Texas, Thursday, August 9, 2012. The McMullen County seat is located at the interseciton of Highway 16 and SH 72 in ... more

Photo: Jerry Lara, San Antonio Express-News

Oil field related traffic on Old Fowlerton Road merges with Texas... Photo-3324817.47488 - San Antonio Express-News

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Welder Rick Olveras works on a cattle guard at JV Steel, Inc, in Tilden, Texas, Thursday, August 9, 2012. Once a quiet town along State Highway 16, the McMullen County seat has experience growth due to the Eagle Ford Shale play. less

Welder Rick Olveras works on a cattle guard at JV Steel, Inc, in Tilden, Texas, Thursday, August 9, 2012. Once a quiet town along State Highway 16, the McMullen County seat has experience growth due to the ... more

Welder Rick Olveras works on a cattle guard at JV Steel, Inc, in Tilden, Texas, Thursday, August 9, 2012. Once a quiet town along State Highway 16, the McMullen County seat has experience growth due to the Eagle Ford Shale play. less

Welder Rick Olveras works on a cattle guard at JV Steel, Inc, in Tilden, Texas, Thursday, August 9, 2012. Once a quiet town along State Highway 16, the McMullen County seat has experience growth due to the ... more

Power line construction workers reconstruct power lines in Tilden, Texas, Thursday, August 9, 2012. The reconstruction is to accommodate demand for power from the oil and gas activity in the area. The 7,200-volt power lines are being replaced by 14,400-volt lines. less

Power line construction workers reconstruct power lines in Tilden, Texas, Thursday, August 9, 2012. The reconstruction is to accommodate demand for power from the oil and gas activity in the area. The ... more

Photo: Jerry Lara, San Antonio Express-News

Power line construction workers reconstruct power lines in Tilden,... Photo-3324931.47488 - San Antonio Express-News

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Water hauler Oscar Garza prepares to load up at the McMullen County Water Control and Improvement District 1 in Tilden, Texas, Thursday, August 9, 2012. According to the district manager Alan Brown, they sell between 50,000 to 75,000 gallons a day to oilfield related companies. Before the oil boom, the district would sell around 10,000 gallons a day. It was run on the honor system with the pump left opened all day. â€œPeople would come fill up then go to Joeâ€™s (Joeâ€™s Food Market) and pay,â€ Brown recalled. In the near future, a computerize system will be in place. Demand for water has increased as companies opened field offices and locals open RV Parks. An 80-unit apartment complex along with 12-unit industrial yard and 25-40 home sites was proposed on land across the Frio River from Tilden. The parcel was out of the water district. â€œLooking at the numbers, weâ€™re not going to furnish the kind of water they would have to have for that location,â€ said Brown. The well has a capacity of 275,000 gallons a day. Some months, especially during the summer, daily averages reach 225,000 gallons. less

Water hauler Oscar Garza prepares to load up at the McMullen County Water Control and Improvement District 1 in Tilden, Texas, Thursday, August 9, 2012. According to the district manager Alan Brown, they sell ... more

Photo: Jerry Lara, San Antonio Express-News

Water hauler Oscar Garza prepares to load up at the McMullen County... Photo-3324932.47488 - San Antonio Express-News

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Alberto Flores, 31, lays pipe for electrical lines in a staked out field in Pleasanton, Texas, Wednesday, August 8, 2012. The 43-slot lot is part of the Hwy 97 RV Park. "We have people calling us every day," say park owner, Robert Fuselier. It is expected that the park will be filled within a month after opening. less

Alberto Flores, 31, lays pipe for electrical lines in a staked out field in Pleasanton, Texas, Wednesday, August 8, 2012. The 43-slot lot is part of the Hwy 97 RV Park. "We have people calling us every day," ... more

Alberto Flores, 31, left, and Valdemar Herrera, 24, lay pipe for electrical lines in a staked out field in Pleasanton, Texas, Wednesday, August 8, 2012. The 43-slot lot is part of the Hwy 97 RV Park. "We have people calling us every day," say park owner, Robert Fuselier. It is expected that the park will be filled within a month after opening. less

Alberto Flores, 31, left, and Valdemar Herrera, 24, lay pipe for electrical lines in a staked out field in Pleasanton, Texas, Wednesday, August 8, 2012. The 43-slot lot is part of the Hwy 97 RV Park. "We have ... more

At the end of the work day, construction workers hang out by their living quarters in front of the hotel they are building in Pleasanton, Texas, Wednesday, August 8, 2012. Demands for housing driven by the Eagle Ford oil and gas play is up in small towns like Pleasanton and others throughout the area. less

At the end of the work day, construction workers hang out by their living quarters in front of the hotel they are building in Pleasanton, Texas, Wednesday, August 8, 2012. Demands for housing driven by the ... more

Photo: Jerry Lara, San Antonio Express-News

At the end of the work day, construction workers hang out by their... Photo-3324926.47488 - San Antonio Express-News

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At the end of the work day, construction workers hang out by their living quarters in front of the hotel they are building in Pleasanton, Texas, Wednesday, August 8, 2012. Demands for housing driven by the Eagle Ford oil and gas play is up in small towns like Pleasanton and others throughout the area. less

At the end of the work day, construction workers hang out by their living quarters in front of the hotel they are building in Pleasanton, Texas, Wednesday, August 8, 2012. Demands for housing driven by the ... more

Photo: Jerry Lara, San Antonio Express-News

At the end of the work day, construction workers hang out by their... Photo-3324927.47488 - San Antonio Express-News

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Mike McCormack, 58, takes a smoke break outside his room at the Super 8 in Pleasanton, Texas, Wednesday, August 8, 2012. Behind him is a Best Western under construction to accommodate demands for housing from the oil and gas industry. McCormack works for a company building bases for communication towers. less

Mike McCormack, 58, takes a smoke break outside his room at the Super 8 in Pleasanton, Texas, Wednesday, August 8, 2012. Behind him is a Best Western under construction to accommodate demands for housing from ... more

Mary Rodriguez, the owner of "Cafe Chris," works in the kitchen of her restaurant as the lunch crowd thickens in Pleasanton on Wednesday, August 8, 2012.

Mary Rodriguez, the owner of "Cafe Chris," works in the kitchen of her restaurant as the lunch crowd thickens in Pleasanton on Wednesday, August 8, 2012.

Photo: Lisa Krantz, San Antonio Express-News

Mary Rodriguez, the owner of "Cafe Chris," works in the... Photo-3325002.47488 - San Antonio Express-News

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Chad Gilbert, left, and Mike Morrison, right, workers at K & C Hose and Supply, an oil field supply store, eat lunch with a friend who works in the oil industry at Cactus Garden in Pleasanton on Wednesday, August 8, 2012. "It's a win, win for everybody in the community," Cactus Garden restaurant owner Nikki Mitchell says. Mitchell says her business has increased by "leaps and bounds." less

Chad Gilbert, left, and Mike Morrison, right, workers at K & C Hose and Supply, an oil field supply store, eat lunch with a friend who works in the oil industry at Cactus Garden in Pleasanton on Wednesday, ... more